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My automobile has built-in GPS. Not by choice. To get a 2009 Honda Pilot with a built-in DVD player for the kids, you had to accept several other goodies, from the GPS to the moon roof to the leather interior. It's okay, we got a very good deal on the vehicle.
Unfortunately, over time, the maps on the GPS you receive with a new vehicle require updates, and for many cars, those update DVDs can cover over $100!
Why spend that when you can now get a TomTom for just over $100? Or pay less than $50 for a well-reputed mapping app for your smartphone?
My husband and I were plagued with this decision last year when we took a couple road trips in his car -- as opposed to our SUV -- without a GPS built in. We used the mapping apps on our iPhones, but didn't have a clever way to mount the phone to the vehicle.
This is where the GripGo can come in. According to their press release, the GripGo can
- instantly grip any style phone or GPS
- mount easily to your dashboard or windshield
- act like a million suction cups that grip and release over and over again, thanks to its "unique polymer surface"
- not require adhesives or tools
- detach from your device "instantly" with "no sticky residue"
- pivot 360 degrees for that perfect viewing angle
- retail for as little as $10.99
On a very basic level, all of the above facts are true. But in reality, it's far from perfect. If you're reading this blog, then you are looking for more than just a basic review. I kicked things up a notch.
What Comes in the Box
The GripGo will include the following:
- GripGo car mount
- Adhesive-backed disc for dashboard mounting
- Instruction sheet
Mounting the Suction Cup
Before I took the GripGo out to my car, I started by testing the mount on assorted surfaces in my house. I mainly did this because I didn't feel like sitting in my car for hours on end waiting to see if the mount would fall over or not. I also could test the assorted iPhone cases in a less-dangerous situation: if the phone fell, it didn't have quite as far to go.
If you've ever owned a Garmin or TomTom type of GPS that includes a suction cup mount, you'll be familiar already with what surfaces to which it can and cannot attach. In my house, glass and tile were the winners. All other surfaces I tried, even my laminate kitchen counter, didn't make the cut. It wasn't smooth enough.
When I took it out to my car, I only had a couple options for mounting. I started with the dashboard. No go. I would need the adhesive disk to successfully mount it to my dash, hence violating Claim #4 above.
I could have mounted the GripGo on the plexiglass that covered my original vehicle GPS screen, but that seemed silly. So onto the windshield it went.
After the first time mounting the vehicle on the windshield, I took a trip with the phone mounted on the GripGo and it did a very good job remaining suctioned in place. I think Claim #2 is valid.
But it was a warm day (remember, I live in Florida). I had taken a trip to my local mega mart and when I returned to the truck, the GripGo had fallen off -- likely due to the heat. This happened all the time with my old Garmin StreetPilot c330. If there was a temperature change on the glass, the suction cup would loosen.
I reattached the suction cup before I started the car, reattached the iPhone to the grip, and was on my way. All seemed well.
Conclusion: I would advise users to dismount and remount the GripGo before use after significant temperature changes.
I will address the phone usability issue with a windshield mount further in the review.
The "Gripping" of the Device
When it came to "sticking" my iPhone to the GripGo with its unique polymer surface**, the product claims seemed to be true. It indeed securely holds my iPhone to the mount. I drove around both on road and off, over speed bumps and even over a curb at one point (don't ask), and the phone remained very well-secured.
**What the heck is a "unique polymer surface"? I've been trying for several days to find out through the Internet but so far I have come up short. A friend and I did some mutual sleuthing through the patent and trademark records, but so far have come short. If you know more about it, feel free to comment below.
Some reviews will address how the GripGo doesn't work with their iPhones when in a case, and I found this to be somewhat true. I tried the GripGo with FOUR different iPhone cases on THREE different iPhone models.
I'm so sorry Otterbox fans...the Otterbox Defender Series that I sometimes use on my iPhone didn't have a smooth back surface and my iPhone didn't last more than ten seconds on the mount.
I tried it with the uBling case I had reviewed last holiday season. Boy, was THAT a fail! The case separated; the *unique polymer surface *pulled the top sheet off the case, spilling beads everywhere.
The best case for the job, among the four I tested, seemed to be the Pong Soft Touch case, such as what GeekMom Sarah had reviewed.
Claim #5 above states that you can instantly detach the phone with no sticky residue. That claim is only partially true.
The advertising will give you the impression that a short tug will instantly release the phone from the "millions of tiny suction cups".
Not true. You will need two hands to remove the device from the GripGo. Also, you need to slowly remove it or else the unique polymer surface might separate from the mount itself. The polymer hasn't fully separated yet, but I see the edges loosening when I attempt to remove the phone too hastily.
The polymer will start out very sticky. Over time the stickiness will ease to a perfect adhesive level, but as dust and dirt begin to collect on it, expect it to lose its stickiness. Simply wash the GripGo surface with warm water to bring back its stickiness.
As for the residue, no, it isn't sticky, but yes, there IS a residue on the phone. I don't think it's a problem, but don't think the mount will leave no evidence.
Conclusion: The GripGo will work with your device case if it's a rigid, smooth backed case. Use two hands to gently remove it from the grip to keep from peeling the unique polymer surface from the mount itself.
GripGo's Useability
I could be reviewing the absolute best, most secure car device mount in the world, but if I can't use my phone while it's mounted, it's all for nought.
Once mounted, your device on the GripGo will extend about 8 inches from the suction cup base. The "boom" is rigid, and the only part that swivels for you is the panel with the GripGo polymer. You can loosen a screw at the suction cup base and raise/lower the boom in a single up-down direction. I was happy with the amount of flexibility in the panel with the phone on it. Claim #6 above mentions a 360 degree viewing angle, and I was happy with how easily I could rotate my phone between horizontal and vertical positions.
Because I was testing the phone in a mid-sized SUV with a somewhat deep windshield, I was concerned with a safe windshield location. When I placed the phone in what I thought was a safe part of the windshield, very close to the rear-view mirror, the phone was pretty far from my reach while driving, and I had to yell at the speaker phone to be heard. It was about 24" between the driver's seat and the mounted phone.
I attempted a couple of other places on the windshield to make the phone closer to my voice and hands, but I didn't feel as safe having the phone anywhere other than near the rear-view mirror, which is the only direction your eyes should travel when not looking at the road.
The rigid boom made tapping the phone to answer and hang up very easy, and I liked that. I could quickly tap the "Answer" button when I received a phone call and the mount didn't budge. I have an Arkon phone mount applied to the air vent in our other car and there's usually a slight wiggle when I tap the phone with that mount. In this case, the GripGo was far superior.
Conclusion: The GripGo's rigid boom mount made touch-surface devices very easy to use for quick taps, such as to answer and hang up the phone. Keep an eye on the distance the GripGo puts the phone from your eyes and your voice, the boom isn't super long and on bigger vehicles this could be an issue.
Overall Conclusions
The GripGo universal car phone mount is an inexpensive solution to using your phone as a GPS device. I wish I knew what the unique polymer surface composition really was, I'm truly curious. Many existing product reviews complain about the salesmanship from ordering though the website (order from Amazon, PLEASE!), as well as about the complications from device cases and temperature changes in their vehicles.
By understanding its capabilities and limitations, I think this can provide a long life. Don't listen to the ads you see all over the place, just keep the following tips in mind:
- Ensure you only use the smoothest surfaces for the suction cup grip, such as the auto glass, or else use the adhesive disc included.
- Disconnect and reconnect the GripGo before driving if the car experienced significant temperature changes.
- Ensure your device's case is smooth and rigid before mounting it to the GripGo.
- Use TWO HANDS to slowly detach the device from the GripGo.
- Pay attention to the distance your device is from your eyes and fingertips for safest use.
The GripGo Universal Phone Mount is available through the product's own website, or through other online retailers such as Amazon. It's MSRP through the GripGo website is $14.95 with a buy-one-get-one-free promotion, but beware of the $8.95 shipping and handling is PER MOUNT, so be prepared to actually pay over $30.00 for the two mounts (hence questioning Claim #7). You're better off ordering through Amazon, where (as of this writing) it's about $16.00 each, with Prime service available.
Do you have a GripGo? Let us know what you think!
A complimentary sample of the GripGo mount was provided for purposes of this review.
